Embarkation Times - Recent Experiences?

[BMT]

It really isn't about jumping queues etc. - in fact, I resent the accusation of trying to jump the queue.

 

Its all about caring really, when it comes to the very elderly. She has to have her lunch and then a siesta in order to be able to do the lifeboat drill - otherwise its just too long a day. Its a very difficult day for her both physically and mentally, to cope with what is, even for young-ish people, quite a long, rather stressful day. We don't get off again until Southampton, as she can't cope with the gangways, tenders etc. Neither can she walk around West Quay for two hours. And the taxi company insist on a couple of hours in hand as we use the M25 & M3.

 

We have to live a very different life on board to most other people - but she enjoys it after the first couple of days settling in. Its all about flexibility and attending to the needs of people with 'difficulties' - and we really did feel that at times Pando was regimented and inflexible - not only with the boarding.

 

It really wasn't a bad cruise - but compared to other lines, fell short in a few silly ways. Doesn't deserve the name Poor & 'Orrible, but they are not helping themselves.

 

Apparently, there is going to be a new CEO soon - from the US - although I think he has been in the UK previously working for Cunard? I wonder whether he is just a 'money man' or will want to take note of how Pando has fallen behind the other lines and try and improve.

 

AchileLauro - yes, you have paid for lunch the day you board - unless they allow you to have lunch the day you disembark!!:* Perhaps I should send an email to Pando with this suggestion ROTFL. And, they do refer to it as "Day 1".

[RICO72]

Getting back to the original question from the OP.............

 

Britannia - 26 March @ Southampton Ocean Terminal.

Allocated boarding time - 1530 (C deck cabin).

Arrived at terminal - 1230 (no choice - at mercy of parents who gave us a lift down).

Given red embarkation card - I summise that this is for early arrivals and they will get to you as and when.

Called for embarkation at 1430.

 

I make no comment for or against the system. This is the information OP asked for !!!

[SoupPlease]

I view boarding a cruise ship as being similar, but better, to boarding a plane. Sometimes, my experience is very smooth, and sometimes it is not. So far, I have not had the actual holiday impacted by it.

 

Having said that, I don't understand why my cabin steward does not pack my luggage at my home and then take it to the cabin. The captain could then keep an eye on the traffic and tell me when to leave home to get me on board just before the ship sails - obviously he would wait if there were unforeseen traffic incidents.

[Goosebear Mum]

Aurora. December 2016 for Christmas/New Year to Caribbean (and back!)

 

3:00 check in time. B deck deluxe balcony.

Called just before 4pm

Check in was then efficient and friendly

On board if I remember about 4:20. No staff to welcome or direct, etc (all gone off to prepare for muster)

Mad rush to find cabin, drop hand luggage in cabin and to muster

 

Dire. Exactly the same as previous Christmas. P&O have learn no lessons

[kevinyork]

Aurora. December 2016 for Christmas/New Year to Caribbean (and back!)

 

 

 

3:00 check in time. B deck deluxe balcony.

 

Called just before 4pm

 

Check in was then efficient and friendly

 

On board if I remember about 4:20. No staff to welcome or direct, etc (all gone off to prepare for muster)

 

Mad rush to find cabin, drop hand luggage in cabin and to muster

 

 

 

Dire. Exactly the same as previous Christmas. P&O have learn no lessons

 

 

 

Well that just dispels P&Os myths of timed boarding being smoother and for the benefit of the passenger. 1hr late boarding and a rush for muster. A lovely start to a holiday.

 

Dai B, over to you to rebuke me yet again. There is a better way.........(come over to the dark side of 5 star cruising)......fluid pricing and flexible, early boarding.

 

 

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[BMT]

Hopefully Pando execs have been reading this - but I fear not - they love all the questionnaires - and then say the punters are always complaining:p File them in the 'nutters' drawer.:evilsmile:

 

Well, at Christmas, in view of our situation, I shall wait half-an-hour and if it seems that we will be there for hours, I will see if I can grab a young, strong passenger to push her up the first slope, get checked in asap and then wheel her to the gangway and just stand there and see if some kind person will rescue us and give her a push up. One thing I am sure of, there will be more goodwill towards us from other passengers, than from the Pando people. In fact, we have found most of our fellow passengers to be very kindly towards us and helpful.

 

People were actually apologising for receiving a wheelchair before us!! They thought it was disgusting as did the lady with the clipboard.

 

Paying a lot of dosh for cruising and we don't really want anyone's pity. We go from Soham as it USUALLY makes things easy. If Pando can't do this for us......well, the next cruises I book won't be Pando. Shame really, as a Brexiteer I do think of Pando as British (of course, they're not).

[kentchris]

Arcadia's Christmas cruise, 14.30 check in time (C Deck). Arrived about 13.40, waited for 15-20 minutes before we joined the check in queue and we were in our cabin just before 14.30 so no complaints.

 

The only bottleneck I could see were the runners collecting cruise cards from trays behind the check in desks - that took longer than the rest of the check in process partly because the runner forgot which desk she had to bring our cards to.

[BMT]

Well, judging from the replies - some early, some late - no rhyme nor reason.

 

Go when you want, you may get on early. Or, you may get on an hour later even if you are there at your correct time:D:p

 

Hopefully, we will manage to board easily - don't want to claim on the insurance having fallen at the first hurdle. Yes, just been watching the Grand National.:eek::eek:

[daiB]

Well that just dispels P&Os myths of timed boarding being smoother and for the benefit of the passenger. 1hr late boarding and a rush for muster. A lovely start to a holiday.

 

Dai B, over to you to rebuke me yet again. There is a better way.........(come over to the dark side of 5 star cruising)......fluid pricing and flexible, early boarding.

 

 

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Good try one bad experience and many good ones. If there is a problem in boarding any system will not work as well.

 

 

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[daiB]

Well, judging from the replies - some early, some late - no rhyme nor reason.

 

 

 

Go when you want, you may get on early. Or, you may get on an hour later even if you are there at your correct time:D:p

 

 

 

Hopefully, we will manage to board easily - don't want to claim on the insurance having fallen at the first hurdle. Yes, just been watching the Grand National.:eek::eek:

 

 

The vast majority don't post as they get on on or before the time they have been allocated. Those who do post are those who think that they should get on first regardless of anyone else and those who board when there is a problem. Which would upset any system.

 

 

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[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

The Grand Harbour have a cruise lounge. Might that be a good place to wait for later boarding. I would be interested to hear if anybody has used it. We are staying at the hotel soon so will consider it after checkout. I do not know the elderly lady of the previous posts so cannot say it would be better for her than waiting in the terminal.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

The vast majority don't post as they get on on or before the time they have been allocated. Those who do post are those who think that they should get on first regardless of anyone else and those who board when there is a problem. Which would upset any system.

 

 

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Dai, are you a psychic now, if not how come you know how the non posters get on with boarding? Maybe they are just some of the assumed 95% plus that do not use cruising firums.

[daiB]

Dai, are you a psychic now, if not how come you know how the non posters get on with boarding? Maybe they are just some of the assumed 95% plus that do not use cruising firums.

 

 

But far more us other forums than use CC as you know and I read a lot of material on their as you know from the last time when a poll on a FB group with 2 to 3 hundred said they were satisfied with the boarding procedures at that time.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

But far more us other forums than use CC as you know and I read a lot of material on their as you know from the last time when a poll on a FB group with 2 to 3 hundred said they were satisfied with the boarding procedures at that time.

 

 

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You will need to re post that poll on here Dai before Kevin, BMT me and lots of others will be convinced.

[daiB]

You will need to re post that poll on here Dai before Kevin, BMT me and lots of others will be convinced.

 

 

You were never convinced the last time when I gave all the figures. But I did not expect you do be.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

You were never convinced the last time when I gave all the figures. But I did not expect you do be.

 

 

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Perhaps you could provide us with the link to your earlier post.

[BMT]

The Grand Harbour have a cruise lounge. Might that be a good place to wait for later boarding. I would be interested to hear if anybody has used it. We are staying at the hotel soon so will consider it after checkout. I do not know the elderly lady of the previous posts so cannot say it would be better for her than waiting in the terminal.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

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Unfortunately, not really. Can't keep shifting the elderly around - they become confused and its not going to help with her routine. The whole raison d'etre for using Soham is that its usually so easy - and unstressful. Two hours-ish in the car. Wait a short while for a wheelchair and go throught security onto the ship, quick bite and a couple of hours liedown before Drill. Problem again, is that wheelchair allocation is different on Pando. Yes, there is a clipboard list - but people in suites and on the loyalty scheme just go in front of the list. Can wait for hours!! Yes, all cruiselines give priority check-in - only Pando give priority for wheelchairs - and nowhere is this written. I have asked what other priorities can we be concerned about i.e. priority for elevators, toilets etc? as they are not specified either.:confused::confused:

 

Thanks for the suggestion anyway - we will just have to cope at Christmas. In retrospect, I think its just a rather regimented, uncaring Cruiseline. The Dining Room is a case in point. In Freedom Dining on Celebrity they go out of their way to have an area near the door for those with walking difficulties. On Ventura my mum joked that we were always walking back to Southampton. Yes, at 102 she still has a sense of humour.

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

I do a admire your mother to still be travelling at 102. I am sure she would no do so well without you. She is obviously loved and looked after.

 

 

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[BMT]

I do a admire your mother to still be travelling at 102. I am sure she would no do so well without you. She is obviously loved and looked after.

 

 

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Thank you kind sir - what a lovely thing to say.

 

 

Its a 24/7 situation - not easy - and I am not so young myself!! But, as we live in a small flat attached to a Retirement/Nursing Home, it is easy to see how quickly people become 'institutionalised' - and as long as I can prevent that by taking her away as often as possible - I will continue to do so.

 

 

Next cruise is the Celebrity Eclipse - a lot quieter than the Ventura - but a gorgeous ship and very nice service. Not such good entertainment by a long chalk. But can't have everything. We do have priority check-in as members of the loyalty scheme, but NOT priority for a wheelchair. Until Pando, I hadn't even thought about priority for wheelchairs - such a thing wouldn't have occurred to me. Your name goes on the list and you are boarded asap - no exceptions - all are equal, regardless of how much you spend!

[andyg9053]

DISGUSTING TREATMENT.. unfortunately that is the best way to describe embarkation on Brittania 12 days ago. 3 cabins for my family travelled down together in 3 cars. Due to carparking we entered the hall 20 mins apart. The first 2 cabins were 40 mins early for our 1530 checkin. Got the naughty boy red letter. The last cabin to arrive got a good boy card. They boarded on time we were an hour later than them. After staff took a I dont give a damn attitude. Having come to P and O from Royal Caribbean my feet will be marching back to the superior quality the Americans provide.

 

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[BMT]

Blimey Andy - don't hold back will you?;p;p

 

I do agree that the Americans seem to run their cruiselines with a different attitude towards service.

 

I also think Pando's check-in is hit'n'miss.

 

In fact, now I think about it, the operation just lacks 'class'. Not saying that Royal Caribbean is very classy either, but its certainly a step above.

 

Like the entertainment on the Ventura though, although we miss the ice shows.

[Florry]

All companies need processes to operate effectively but the problem with P&O is that they sometimes seem not to allow any discretion to remember the human side to the customer experience. Having said that it was only a short wait at embarkation which hopefully didn't spoil your cruise.

 

 

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[BMT]

All companies need processes to operate effectively but the problem with P&O is that they sometimes seem not to allow any discretion to remember the human side to the customer experience.

 

Having said that it was only a short wait at embarkation which hopefully didn't spoil your cruise.

 

 

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Bingo on the first - totally inflexible in many ways.

 

Reading his post again, other things didn't impress him either!! I doubt that a poor embarkation experience would be the only thing sending him back to RCI!!

 

However, many people do enjoy the experience - some of us are just too picky:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[wowzz]

Andy does not appear to be a seasoned cruiser, if you look at his post history. P&O can do better, but I am not sure if Andy is the best one to make a judgement.

 

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[BMT]

Andy does not appear to be a seasoned cruiser, if you look at his post history. P&O can do better, but I am not sure if Andy is the best one to make a judgement.

 

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Well, it seems that he did two cruises previously on Adventure of the Seas - Royal Caribbean - and he seems to have enjoyed those immensely. So he has certainly had a chance to compare the two operations.

 

I do think that Pando needs to stop resting on its laurels and come into 2017. I have no idea whether it makes money or not - I have heard recent rumours that Cunard doesn't, despite high drinks prices and grats.

 

But with more and lines operating out of Soham the competition is hotting up;p

 

I had a look at prices on the Jade (NCL) from Southampton, now that they are including drinks and grats. Seem to be very high - will they take passengers away from Pando I wonder?